Criminal charges: Two Fullerton police officers have been ordered to stand trial on criminal charges in connection with Thomas' death. One of them, Ofc. Manuel Ramos, center, is the first officer in Orange County to face murder charges for actions that occurred while on duty and in uniform. The other, Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, left, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The Fullerton City Council listens to public comments regarding the releasing of the recording of the call for service to the police department that initiated the contact between the Fullerton police and Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011.

Fullerton resident Christine Walker claps in approval after the Fullerton City Council unanimously approved releasing a redacted version of the recording of the call for service to the police department that initiated the contact between the Fullerton police and Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011.

The Fullerton City Council listens to public comments regarding the releasing of the recording of the call for service to the police department that initiated the contact between the Fullerton police and Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011.

Mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva leads the Fullerton City council in a unanimous vote to approve releasing a redacted version of the recording of the call for service to the police department that initiated the contact between the Fullerton police and Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011.

The Fullerton City Council unanimously votes to approve releasing a redacted version of the recording of the call for service to the police department that initiated the contact between the Fullerton police and Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011.

A crime scene investigator's photograph gives some insight into what the scene looked like in the immediate aftermath of an altercation between Kelly Thomas, a homeless man in Fullerton, and police officers.

An undated photo shows Kelly Thomas, a local transient. Thomas, 37, was taken off of life support and died five days after a July 5 struggle with Fullerton Police officers.

A security camera captured much of the altercation between Fullerton police officers and Kelly Thomas at the Fullerton bus depot. It was shown at the preliminary hearing in Santa Ana in May.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas filed a motion to prevent the release of the call for service which initiated the contact between Fullerton police and Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011.

It has long been speculated that the call to the police which initiated the contact between Fullerton police and transient Kelly Thomas came from the Slidebar. The patio of the restaurant backs up against the transportation center, where the fatal confronation took place.

Ron Thomas looks at the memorial at the Fullerton Transportation Center, which has arisen where his son Kelly Thomas was injured in a confrontation with Fullerton Police during a arrest on July 5, 2011. He died five days later.

On June 26, Ron Thomas returned to the memorial at the Fullerton Transportation Center where his son Kelly Thomas was injured in a confrontation with Fullerton Police during a arrest on July 5, 2011. He died five days later. Of the memorial and the supporters he said, "This means everything to me."

FULLERTON – In a recording of the phone call that initiated contact between police and Kelly Thomas, homeless man who died after a confrontation with officers, the caller tells a dispatcher that a “creepy homeless guy that looks like Jesus” is roaming the parking lot, looking in cars, pulling on handles, again, by the train station in front of the Slidebar.”

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to make public the audio recording, hours after Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue denied a request by the District Attorney’s Office to keep the tape of the call under wraps.

In a recording of one minute and 45 seconds, the caller whose name and phone number were redacted before the tape was made public describes the transient as a “redhead” and says “Years ago, he used to walk around with a hatchet.

“He has no shirt on,” the caller says. “He is wearing a backpack and blue jeans.”

Police arrived on the scene and begin to question Thomas.

After a lengthy conversation with police, surveillance video shows Thomas being struck by batons, wrestled to the ground, shot with a Taser and struck with the end of the Taser. He was left unconscious in a pool of blood and died five days later.

Two Fullerton police officers are charged in the death of Thomas. The officers have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say the tape’s release endangers the successful completion of their investigation and could endanger the safety of the caller who identifies herself by name, her place of work and her telephone number. She has received verbal and written threats, prosecutors said in their motion.

“The release of this recording would only place her in further jeopardy,” Deputy District Attorney Keith Bogardus said.

“I don’t think I have the authority to order the Police Department not to turn over records,” Donahue said.

The judge said the motion by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office was premature, because there was no way of knowing what action the City Council would take.

Two Fullerton police officers are charged in the beating death of Thomas. The officers have pleaded not guilty.

Richard Dwyer, 52, a volunteer teacher’s aide, said he put in a public-records request for the recording to “expose corruption” in the Fullerton Police Department.

Dwyer said Fullerton police “coached” the caller by essentially telling her to make up a story about Thomas doing something illegal to get officers to respond quickly to the Transportation Center.

“We all know what the truth is,” Dwyer said. “This has been a cover-up since Day 1.”

No evidence has surfaced publicly to support, nor has the D.A. alleged, that such a scenario occurred.

The Orange County Register also requested “all recordings of 911 calls” and any other audio or visual recordings used by police in connection with their fatal encounter with Thomas.

Accepting the D.A.’s position, the city attorney has denied a public records act request for the call made on July 5, 2011, and tells the City Council in a memo that the panel “must balance the issues raised by the district attorney and the Fullerton Police Department as well as the individual concerns of the caller against the public’s interest in hearing the call.”

But Fullerton Councilman Travis Kiger, who supported granting the request for the recorded phone call, said keeping the city-owned recording from the public “only fosters continued distrust against the city and everyone involved.”

“I see no reason for continued secrecy on behalf of the D.A. or City Hall,” Kiger wrote in an email to the Register. “The caller’s identity is already widely known, and it was documented publicly as part of a civil lawsuit against a downtown bar.”

A bouncer who was fired from the Slidebar Rock-n-Roll Kitchen claimed in a lawsuit filed in June a manager from the bar called police that evening and falsely claimed Thomas was breaking into cars.

Slidebar owner Jeremy Popoff said his employees have been questioned extensively by the D.A.’s office, the FBI and other investigators.

“None of these agencies have found anything wrong with this phone call,” Popoff said. “I’ve never doubted her that she did the right thing in reporting suspicious activity. … (She) has done so much for the city of Fullerton, and it’s a shame the way she has been thrown under the bus like she has.”

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